In 2010, Ford was among the top 10 auto brands in Consumer Reports’ Annual Auto Reliability Survey, with more than 90% of its models rated average or better by CR readers. But in the two years since, the shine has gone off the Ford brand, and in the newly released survey, it now comes in next to last place. [More]
Ford Continues To Sink Toward Bottom Of Consumer Reports’ Reliability Ratings
By October 29, 2012
Chevy Dealer Really Sorry About Having Customer Arrested Over Pricing Error
By October 3, 2012
When the folks at a Chevy dealership in Virginia realized they had accidentally sold a customer a car for $5,600 less than they should have, they could have just eaten the difference and stewed about it for a bit. Instead, they tried to get the customer to pay the extra money — and then had him arrested for car theft when he refused. [More]
The Death Of The Great American Automotive Bench Seat
By October 1, 2012
Many of my earliest memories are sitting three or four abreast in the front seat of the family’s powder blue Chevy Nova. Years later, I remember packing friends onto the bench seats of my ’71 Malibu (a lovely hand-painted pickle green) for hours of terrorizing the streets of suburban Philadelphia. So it’s with a tear in my eye that I hear today about the disappearance of this American icon. [More]
It Could Take Years For Some Fuel-Efficient Cars To Be Worth The Savings On Gas
By May 31, 2012
While car makers have been touting new higher-efficiency versions of some of their more popular vehicle brands, tests show that it could take years for the average driver to realize enough cost savings on gas to make up for the higher price tag. [More]
Chevy To Fix Every Volt Vehicle To Prevent Battery Fires
By January 5, 2012
Late last year it was revealed that the Dept. of Transportation was looking into possible problems with the batteries in electric vehicles after a Chevy Volt caught fire following a crash test. Now it looks like General Motors will spend the next few months upgrading the battery containment and coolant systems in every Volt currently on the road. [More]
GM Introduces First Front-Center Air Bag
By September 29, 2011
In an effort to protect folks in the front seat during side impact crashes, General Motors announced earlier today that it plans to introduce the industry’s first front-center air bag in three of its vehicles starting with model year 2013. [More]
GM Recalls 16,000 2012 Chevy Impala & Buick LaCrosse Vehicles
By August 12, 2011
It isn’t even 2012 yet but General Motors is already recalling nearly 12,000 model year 2012 Chevrolet Impalas and more than 4,000 new Buick Lacrosse cars, each for different reasons. [More]
GM Recalls 170,000 2011 Cars, Trucks & Vans
By May 5, 2011
General Motors announced three recalls affecting several 2011 model year vehicles, including its popular Chevrolet Cruze sedan–recently recalled for steering wheel concerns. [More]
NHTSA Looking Into 865,000 GM SUVs Over Screwy Fuel Gauges
By April 29, 2011
Given the price of gas these days, it really helps to have an accurate fuel gauge on your vehicle. It certainly doesn’t help to have a gauge that gives inaccurate or completely random readings. But enough GM drivers have complained to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration about this problem for the agency to open an investigation. [More]
GM Kills Mr. Goodwrench In The Garage With A Lead Pipe
By November 9, 2010
As the latest step in its post-bailout image overhaul, General Motors announced yesterday that the car maker will be phasing out its GM Goodwrench auto service in favor of brand-specific “Certified Service” centers. [More]
GM Recalls 322,000 Chevy Impalas Over Seat Belt Screw-Up
By October 15, 2010
Before you go crashing your Chevy Impala into something, you should know that the seat belts might not hold up to the impact; GM announced earlier today that it is recalling 322,409 2009-2010 Impalas because some front seat belt webbings may not have been properly secured to the lap belt anchor pretensioner mounted to the side of the seat nearest the door. [More]
GM Voids Warranty On Used Truck, Blames It On Chip Owner Didn't Know Was Installed
By August 24, 2010
Ken is facing a $13,000 repair bill on his 2007 Chevy 2500 diesel truck, because the full factory warranty the dealership assured him it had was voided by GM. The reason: GM says at some point in the past, someone put a chip in the truck that doesn’t match the info GM has, so they don’t have to service it. The problem for Ken is that the dealership didn’t check for this chip before it sold the truck to Ken, and Ken didn’t know about this loophole when he bought it. In fact, he says he bought it about a year and a half before GM implemented this rule. [More]
Is $41,000 Too Much For A Chevy Volt?
By July 27, 2010
After months of speculation about what price General Motors would slap on its first electric vehicle, the Chevy Volt, we finally have an answer, and it’s an expensive one. The Chevy — oops, we mean Chevrolet — vehicle will debut with a price tag of $41,000. [More]
What's Creepier, New Chevy Volt Ads, Or John Carpenter's Christine?
By July 14, 2010
At first I thought it was a horror movie trailer coming out of the dashboard radio. There is a wall of droning sound, then an intense voice overlays with, “Listen. Hear that? That’s the sound of the status quo crumbling.” I wondered what new machete-wielding maniac would be gracing the theaters this summer, until I realized that his name was Chevy Volt. What? That’s your electric car ad? Why does it sound so much like the trailer for the 1983 cult classic Christine in which an otherworldly-possessed car goes on a murderous rampage? [More]
GM To Employees: It's 'Chevrolet,' Not 'Chevy'
By June 10, 2010
Apparently, when General Motors isn’t busy destroying documents, they’re apparently not taking the time to improve their vehicles. Instead, they’re fretting over whether people refer to their most popular brand as “Chevrolet” or “Chevy.” [More]
Consumer Reports Picks Top Cars In 10 Categories
By March 22, 2010
In the April issue of Consumer Reports, they announce their top picks for vehicles in 10 separate categories, from Family Sedan to Green Car to Pickup Truck to Best Car Overall. This year, that title belongs to the Lexus LS 460L. [More]
GM To Recall Chevy Cobalts, Various Pontiacs Due To Steering Problems
By March 2, 2010
GM has announced that it is recalling 1.2 million vehicles to address a power steering problem that has been linked to 14 crashes and one injury. [More]
Consumer Reports Gets Patriotic, Names Best American Cars For 2010
By February 26, 2010
While the Congress frets about the millions of Toyotas on the road that probably shouldn’t be, our grease-monkey brothers at Consumer Reports were busy getting domestic. They just released the list of their Top Picks for vehicles put out by American car companies. [More]
